“I am the light of the world. He that followeth me, walketh not in darkness” (Jn.VIII, 12)

Since faith is one, it must be professed in all its purity and integrity". Pope Francis/Pope Benedict

email:torontocatholicwitness@rogers.com

Friday, 17 August 2012

Russia is defending Christianity

The secular media has exploded with half-truths, distortions and out and out lies regarding the conviction brought against a Russian theatrical group named "Pussy Riot". Contrary to media lies, this organization is not a "musical" group, but a theatrical one. Contrary to media lies, the appearance in the Cathedral was highly inflammatory, blasphemous and a direct attack on Orthodoxy.

Patriarch Kirill and Archbishop Jozef Michalik of Poland
at the ancient Wawel Castle in Krakow

The objective reality is, that this group of individuals profaned a cathedral that had been previously profaned by the communists. These "performers" blasphemed the Mother of God and used vulgar and insulting language towards Patriarch Kirill. A criminal act was committed that needed appropriate counter actions. Thus the arrests and convictions.

The Russian Orthodox Church has also expressed grave concern over secularization in western Europe, and the need to collaborate with the Catholic Church. Today, the Patriarch is in Poland signing a landmark pact with the Polish bishops on reconciliation. Meanwhile,western Europe, caught in a non-believers fever, regards churches as mere buildings that are museums or theaters. In Russia - paradoxically - after decades of vicious persecution, the Russian Orthodox Church is recovering her footing, and she will resist (unlike the Catholic Church in Canada, for example) secular attacks against her. and Christianity. The Orthodox Church in Russia believes not only in words but in action. Churches in Russia, as regarded by Orthodoxy are not mere buildings, but holy places. Holy places desecrated need some form of reparation. Further, the State, in the interests of the common good, needs to take consideration of the undermining of the common good by gravely insulting acts towards religion. We are not here talking about the nonsense that this was a protest against Mr. Putin. One can protest against Putin without attacking Christianity.

A sound analysis of the actual facts can be found at the Russian based interfax press agency.

Update: an excellent overview of Orthodoxy's combat against atheism and secularism can be read here.

2 comments:

This is an odd turn of events though a very hopeful one. Apparently what was once described as an evil empire has turned around and become a bulwark against the secularism that has plagued the west. In 1989 a similar event took place at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York involving Act Up demonstrators disrupted a service. Over 100 arrests were made but no jail time was served and most of those detained were released the same evening.http://www.rferl.org/content/before-pussy-riot-act-up-confronted-church-and-won/24668230.html

Gone are the days when RFU actually stood for something. Now, it seems to be taken over with a secularist and Russophobic perspective. Was it ever really anti-communist, or really anti-Russian? Probably the latter.